The European Union deplores the entry into force of amendments to the criminal code of the Republika Srpska entity, reintroducing criminal penalties for defamation, an EU spokesperson said on the day when the legislation in the Bosnian Serb entity came into force, stressing that these law changes impose “unnecessary and disproportionate restrictions on independent media and civil society.”

“The law severely impacts the environment of civil society and restricts freedom of expression and of the media in Republika Srpska. It is a regrettable and undeniable major step backwards in the protection of fundamental rights,” said the press release.

The comment comes a week after the entity president Milorad Dodik signed a decree on the promulgation of the amendments to the Criminal Code, making the criminalisation of defamation legislation in that entity official.

Dodik signs decree making criminalisation of defamation official in RS entity

The EU stressed that the law goes “against the expectations that accompanied the granting of EU candidate status, and runs counter to the interests of all citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, including those resident in the Republika Srpska entity.”

“The EU expects all authorities to work constructively to address the European Commission Opinion key priorities, which are necessary for the Commission to recommend opening of EU accession negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina. In particular, under key priority 12 the EU expects BiH to ‘guarantee freedom of expression and of the media and the protection of journalists’,” the spokesperson said.

The EU is committed to supporting media and civil society in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in particular in the Republika Srpska entity, they underlined.